Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ActivityWatch

Log what you do on your computer. Simple (yet powerful), extensible, no third parties.

ActivityWatch

ActivityWatch Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether ActivityWatch is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • ActivityWatch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-03

Features & Specs

  1. Open Source

    ActivityWatch is an open-source project, which means its code is publicly available for review and contributions. This promotes transparency and security.

  2. Cross-Platform

    ActivityWatch works on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it versatile and accessible for users on different platforms.

  3. Privacy-Focused

    Being an open-source project, ActivityWatch places a strong emphasis on user privacy, ensuring data is stored locally rather than in the cloud unless the user chooses otherwise.

  4. Customizable

    The tool provides various frameworks and APIs for customization, allowing users to create custom trackers and reports to better fit their needs.

  5. Detailed Analytics

    ActivityWatch provides comprehensive data and visualizations on how users spend their time on their devices, aiding in productivity analysis and improvement.

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Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about ActivityWatch and what they use it for.
  • RewindOS โ€“ Searchable screen history for Linux local
    Hi HN. RewindOS captures your screen every few seconds, OCRs it, and makes everything you've ever seen instantly searchable โ€” all 100% local. No cloud, no account, no telemetry. MIT-licensed, and built specifically for Linux/Wayland. I started out using [ActivityWatch](https://activitywatch.net/), which is great at what it does โ€” but it tracks how much time you spend in each app, not what you actually... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • EFF Launches Age Verification Hub as Resource Against Misguided Laws
    Ah okay. I think this would probably be pretty tricky, security-wise, no? One of my first thoughts that might help would be writing a simple tool that parses history from your browsers to categorize it. Other than that, there are things like https://activitywatch.net/ (which seems to have a desktop and Android version). - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Recall for Linux
    It's an actual useful feature, it's just the tracking by microsoft that makes it meh. I also track my activities with ActivityWatch (Open Source, https://activitywatch.net/) to remember missing time entries for billing clients. It's all local, so perfectly fine. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Show HN: Timelinize โ€“ Privately organize your own data from everywhere, locally
    Https://activitywatch.net/ gets you part of the way there. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Everyone knows all the apps on your phone
    > How hard would it be for an app to monitor all of your web traffic based on the title alone? Although not terribly accurate (because of the high variability of page titles), tools like ManicTime and ActivityWatch use windows titles to track your browser history if you don't install the browser plugin. https://www.manictime.com/ https://activitywatch.net/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • RemotePulse โ€“ Boost your remote work productivity with effortless tracking
    Try https://activitywatch.net/ Plus extensions for Chrome and VSCode: https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/watchers.html It will give track how much time you spend per file, URL, window. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Windows Recall / Rewind.ai Alternatives?
    Are there any good alternatives? I know about OpenRecall and ActivityWatch but what are some other options? https://github.com/openrecall/openrecall https://activitywatch.net/ I remember there was an older Windows desktop app too (proprietary paid) which was linked here but I forgot to save the link... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Basic computer logon tracking/monitoring tools?
    But have a look at https://activitywatch.net/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • I am looking for an Ubuntu tool to keep track of time spent actively using the computer
    I have used a tool called Activity Watch, an open source project. But this is kind of too much for me. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Ask HN: What apps do you use to focus?
    I am using Firefox extension "LeechBlock" . Free and very flexible. Also for better analysis, my laptop time spending using activity watch - https://www.proginosko.com/leechblock/ - https://activitywatch.net/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Do you accurately track your time?
    If you want to do this independent of the PSA agent you can look at ActivityWatch to run on your own systems. If you really want to you can go into the Activity section of the Dashboard and get a pretty detailed view of what you had open, and you can use the Category Builder to auto-assign things to work, social media, etc. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Figuring out and keeping track of your Sims 2 playtime: A Reticulated Guide
    ActivityWatch is another free software that allows you to keep track of your playtime, although that's an oversimplification of what it really is because it keeps track of all the windows you've opened on your computer. The main purpose of this app is helping with productivity, as it gives you a clue of what you've done on your PC and for how long. Source: about 3 years ago
  • 916 days of Emacs
    It's two projects, ActivityWatch and WakaTime. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Hi! I'm RavensDagger, Author of a heap of wholesome stories! I'm doing a 24 hour AMA!
    There is software that can log it for you. https://activitywatch.net/ is free and open source. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Is there a way to track the amount of time you spend in a project?
    I use ActivityWatch, which tracks your time in apps or projects by looking at the window titles. https://activitywatch.net/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Linux software list. Discussion and advice welcome!
    Activitywatch - tracks app usage and productivity with graphical data log. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Deleted my account after 1.5 years
    Can't help you with iOS, as its all Apple's decision/fault due to privacy concerns with the needed APIs, but I'm building a free and open source alternative (that's kinda popular) if that's your thing: https://activitywatch.net. Source: over 3 years ago
  • I added visualizations of spent time to my lightweight time tracker app
    I'm building ActivityWatch, which is also privacy/local-first, but focuses on automatic tracking over manual (and SQLite instead of plaintext files). We too have implemented a hierarchical category system :). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Program and Website Blocker
    You also may want to look at Activity Watch - https://activitywatch.net/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Are there any good alternatives to WhatPulse?
    ActivityWatch. Found it using https://alternativeto.net/software/whatpulse/ because I hadn't heard of WhatPulse before. Great site for finding alternatives, since it has a bunch of filter options for OS and license types. Source: over 3 years ago
  • [List] Let's talk about the software you can't live without. Here is my list
    ActivityWatch - a program to track your activity, just like on phones (Free โ€ข Open Source). Source: about 4 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of ActivityWatch

ActivityWatch, a prominent player in the time management and productivity tracking domain, enjoys considerable recognition for its robust feature set and privacy-focused design. It is part of a crowded space that includes other notable competitors like RescueTime, ManicTime, Toggl, Clockify, WakaTime, and Harvest, but it carves out a unique niche with its open-source, cross-platform offering.

Key Features and Usability

ActivityWatch operates as a comprehensive time tracking tool, helping users monitor how they spend their time across various applications and projects. It tracks time using window titles and allows further refinement with its browser plugins, particularly for Chrome and VSCode, thus providing a detailed breakdown of activity without demanding manual input. This automatic tracking facilitates users in maintaining productivity by understanding and managing their screen usage better.

One significant aspect mentioned in several posts is ActivityWatch's dashboard, which offers a detailed view of activities, allowing users to auto-categorize activities into specific domains like work and social media. This provides a user-friendly visualization of time spent on different tasks, ultimately empowering users to refine their time management strategies effectively.

Privacy and Open-source Nature

A major selling point of ActivityWatch is its open-source nature, enhancing trust among privacy-conscious users. The application's commitment to keeping data local-first aligns with the prevailing sentiments toward data security and personal privacy, especially given concerns about third-party data handling in many competitor tools. Discussions indicate that users appreciate this transparency and the control it grants them over their personal data.

Community and Development

The development tempo of ActivityWatch appears to be fairly active and community-oriented. Being an open-source project, it benefits from community contributions, which not only assist in software improvement but also enhance user trust as people perceive the tool as a collaborative effort rather than a proprietary venture. This participatory model can be particularly appealing to technically inclined users who prefer adapting tools to meet their personalized needs.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite its merits, ActivityWatch is not without challenges. Some users find the tool overly complex or robust than necessary for basic time tracking needs. There is also a noted absence of iOS support, which presents limitations for Apple ecosystem users who require a cross-device tracking solution. Additionally, while the tool shines in automatic tracking, it might not suit users looking for manual tracking options or integrated invoicing features, as found in competitor platforms like Harvest.

Conclusion

In summary, ActivityWatch stands out as a formidable option for individuals and professionals looking for a privacy-focused, data-driven time management solution. It excels in environments where users seek comprehensive insights into their digital habits without compromising on data security. Its open-source model and active community contribute to continuous improvement and customizability, solidifying its position as a preferred choice in the productivity tool landscape. However, potential adopters should weigh its feature set against their specific requirements, especially if they are looking for simplified or iOS-compatible solutions.

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